Principal Launch Manager (f/m/d)

At Upvest, we are on a mission to make investing as easy as spending money . Upvest empowers businesses to offer a wide range of investment products and the best experience in the field of capital market investment and retirement planning. Upvest’s Investment API is easy to integrate so that fintechs and financial institutions can save resources and fully focus on their core business. We are proud to partner with Europe’s leading Fintechs and financial institutions such as DKB, Revolut, N26 and Raisin. Founded in 2017 by Martin Kassing, Upvest now brings together over 270 talented professionals from more than 70 nationalities. We’re backed by world-class investors such as Hedosophia, Sapphire, Bessemer Venture Partners, BlackRock, Earlybird, HV Capital, Notion Capital, and Motive Ventures. As Principal Launch Manager, you’ll lead Upvest’s most complex, high-stakes launches with established banks in Germany and across Europe. You’ll own end-to-end delivery for full launch programs - spanning scoping, implementation, and (where possible) migration - while serving as the executive-facing driver of the project. Additionally, you will support / drive asset migrations from incumbent custodians to Upvest, ensuring continuity of service, data integrity, and zero-defect go-lives. You are the “spider in the web” Synthesizing deep product knowledge with operational excellence, running steering committees with Upvest and client executives, and aligning legal, compliance, and technology streams. You’ll set the bar for how Upvest launches complex banking clients, help shape our playbooks, and mentor Launch Managers across the portfolio. What you’ll do: Own bank-grade programs end-to-end - Upvest’s most complex and exciting projects! Support or own (depending on experience) custody asset migrations (e.g. equities, ETFs, Mutual Funds etc.) from the client’s previous custodian to Upvest Ensure all projects are meticulously planned, executed, and tested Create first-class, repeatable enterprise client launch and migration experiences : Lead and standardize securities integration and migration projects, enabling clients to build investment products on our API Drive day-to-day execution with Engineering, Product, Operations, and Compliance - removing blockers, negotiate trade-offs, and keep scope, timeline and risk in balance Set new standards in client collaboration and communication Run steering sessions with senior stakeholders at established banks. Surface options with clear implications, secure decisions, and maintain a crisp narrative of progress and risk Build trusted client relationships and foster cross-functional collaboration with a partnership mindset. Your pragmatic leadership style ensures successful integrations, motivates teams, and aligns client needs with our business goals What you bring: Proven track record leading complex, multi-entity programs for tier-1 banks or large financial institutions—ideally covering custody, brokerage, post-trade, or securities operations Ideally experience in management consulting Executive communication, decision-log discipline, and calm leadership under pressure Expert in end-to-end project management: Proven ability to design, plan, and execute large-scale projects Superb project and communication skills, with a hands-on attitude A client-first mindset and a pragmatic approach to solving problems A willingness to dive into the deep end, be challenged and learn at a rapid pace Risk Management focus - Ability to identify risks associated with migrations and implement effective mitigation strategies Capable of defining and aligning technical and business requirements for seamless migration processes Experience in managing the custody transfer of financial instruments, like equities, ETFs and mutual funds Passionate about improving tools and processes You are proactive in coming up with an informed hypothesis, planning with foresight, and addressing questions or issues early You are fluent in Engli…